Coupling



Dot. 7, 1947.

A. 'r. SCHEIWE'R COUPLING Filed lay 21, 1945 3 a 2 3 z x o 6 m2 7 z 2 0 w 0 w INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 7,1947

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca Albert T. Schclwer, Erie, Pa.

Application May 2-1, 1945, Serial No. 594,927

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to couplings and more particularly to ball-type couplings.

Prior couplings with check valves disposed in the male and female members have required movement of a sleeve or the like by manual means to make a connection. This has been found practically impossible with heavy mittens on and it requires too much time and waste of oxygen when a quick connection to an oxygen mask or the like vmust be made.

It is, accordingly, an object of myinvention to provide a quickly attachable and detachable coupling which can be securely connected by merely inserting the male member into the female member and it is more particularly an object of my invention to provide a novel coupling which is simple in construction, economical in cost, economical in manufacture, and eflicient in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel ball-type coupling with a check valve in the male member and the female member thereof which may be connected by merely inserting the male member into the female member.

Another object of my invention is to provide novel means for holding a movable sleeve on a female member of a ball-type coupling in a position to automatically lock the male and female members together upon insertion of the male member into the female member.

Other objects of my invention will become evident from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the. accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view with parts broken awayof my novel coupling in locked position.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view with parts broken away of the female member of my novel gguplingwhen disconnected from the male mem- Fig. 4 is a side elevational view with parts broken away of the. male member of my novel coupling when disconnected from the female member.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view with parts broken away of a modified form of my novel coupling,

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the novel coupling shown in Fig.5.

Referring now to the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 show a male member and a female member 2, The male member comprises a connecting portion 2 with a peripheral groove 3 and a wrench engaging portion 4 with internal threads 5 for engagement with a hose connection (not shown), and a flanged portion 8. The male mem. ber I also has an inner groove 1 and a reduced 5 inner portion 8 for receiving a check valve l having a nose portion II with a groove |2 for receiving a washer l3 and a rear projecting portion I 4 for receiving a stop member I! and a spring member l6 for urging the washer |3 into sealing engagement with the flanged portion 3 of the male member as shown in Fig. 4 when the male member I is disconnected from the female member 2. The female member 2 comprises a sleeve 20 having ball-retaining apertures 2|, a threaded portion 22 for threadably engaging a stop member 23, an inner threaded portion 24 for receiving a hose connection (not shown), an inner groove 25 for receiving a U- shaped washer 23, an inner shoulder 21, an inner groove 28 for receiving a spring clip stop member 29, and an outer shoulder 33'; and an outer movable sleeve 32 with 9. depending camming portion 33 and a spring member 34 for urging the movable sleeve 32 towards the stop member 23. A check valve 40 is disposed in the female member 2 in a movable sleeve 4| having an inner flange 42 and an outer flange 43, and a washer 44 adjacent the outer flange 43, andcomprises a movable radially armed member 45 having a nose portion 46 with a groove 41 for receiving a washer 43, and a rear projecting portion 43 forreceiving an inner spring member 50. An outer spring member engages the outer flanged portion 43 of the sleeve 4|. A spring restraining member 52 engages one end of the inner and outer spring members 53 and 5|. The spring members 50 and 5| urge the washers 44 and 48 adjacent the flange 43 of the sleeve 4| and the radially armed member 45 into sealing engagement with the inner flanged portion 42 of the sleeve 4| and the inner shoulder 21 of the sleeve 4|, as shown in Fig. 3, when the female member 2 is disengaged from the male member I. Bali members 53 are disposed in the ball re- 45 taining apertures of the sleeve.

In operation the female member 2 is as shown 'in Fig. 3 with the check valve 40 and sleeve 4| in sealed relationship and the ball members 53 securely holding the movable sleeve 32 against the so force of the sprin 34. The connecting portion 2 of the male member I is inserted into the female member 2 moving the sleeve 32 longitudinally out of engagement with the ball members 53 and they are forced into engagement with the 55 groove 3 in the connecting portion 2 of the male valve III in the male member I engages the nose portion 46 of the check valve 40 to move the washers I3 and 48 away from the flanged portions 6 and 42 of the male member I and the female member 2. 7

When the outer sleeve 82 is moved against the force of the spring 34 to free the ball members 53 from engagement with the groove 3 in the connecting portion 2 of the male member I to disengage the male and female members I and 2, in the male member I, the spring member I8 forces the washer 13 in the check valve III into engagement with the flanged portion 6 of the male member I to seal the male member I; and

in the female member 2, the washer 44 adjacent the flange 43 of the inner sleeve M and the washer 48 in the nose portion 46 of the check valve 40 is moved by the force of the springs 50 and into engagement with the shoulder 21 and the flange 42 in the sleeve 4! of the female member 2 to seal the female member 2. In the longitudinal movement of the sleeve 32, the ball members 53 are forced outwardly to engage the camming portion 33 of the outer sleeve 82 to hold it in a position for ready engagement with the connecting portion 2 of the male member I. Fig. 5 shows a male member 60 identical with the male member I shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The female member GI is similar to the female member 2 shown in Figs. 1 and 3 but without U-shaped washer 25 and comprises a sleeve 82 having ball retaining apertures 63, a threaded portion 64 for threadably engaging a stop ring 65, an inner threaded portion 66 for receiving a threaded hose connection (not shown) an inner shoulder, and an inner groove 61 to receive a spring retaining clip member 68; and an outer movable sleeve 10 having a camming portion II and a spring member 12 for urging the sleeve 10 toward the stop member 65. Ball members II are disposed in the ball retaining apertures 63 to engage the groove I3 in the connecting portion It of the male member 60 to lock the male and female members 60 and SI together.

An inner sleeve I5 disposed in sleeve 62 has an inner flange 16 and an outwardly extending flange 11 with a washer 18 adjacent thereto. A check valve 80 has a nose portion BI with a groove 82 for receiving a washer 83 and a rearwardly extending portion 86 for receiving one end of an inner spring 85. An outer spring 86 engaging the sleeve l5 and the inner spring 85 have one end thereof held by a, spring restraining member 81.

It will be evident that the operation of my novel coupling shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is identical with my novel coupling shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The only difference in construction is the absence of the washer 25,, shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided an effective and eflicient ball-type coubers carried by said sleeve, and a spring-urged movable sleeve having a camming portion for holding said camming members in engagement with the groove in the connecting portion of said male member to lock said male and female mem- 'bels together; and a spring-urged inner sleeve having a flange portion adapted to hold said camming members in the path of the camming portion of saidinovable sleeve; and a spring-urged check valve, adapted to engage the flanged portion of said inner sleeve .in sealing relationship. 2. A coupling as set forth in claim 1, wherein said camming members are ball members.

pler which may be connected by merely inserting 3. A coupling as set forth inclaim 1, wherein a check valve is disposed insaid male member adapted to move the check valve in said female member out of sealing relationship with the flanged portion of the inner sleeve of said female member when the male. and female members are connected together.

4. A coupling comprising a-male member having a connecting portion with a groove, a springurged check valve in said male member; a female member comprising a sleeve with ball retaining apertures, ball members in said apertures, an outer sleeve for holding said ball members in engagement with the groove in the connecting portion of said male member, an inner sleeve having an inner flange disposed in said sleeve of said female member, a check valve in said inner sleeve, a washer carried bysaid check valve adapted to engage the flanged portion of said inner sleeve, spring members for urging said check valve and inner sleeve longitudinally, said check valve and sleeve in said female member and check valve in said male member being movable longitudinally toan unsealed position when connected together freeing said ball members in the apertures of said sleeve of said female member to engage the groove in the connecting portion of said male member.

5. A couplingas set forth in claim 4, wherein said sleeve has an inner shoulder and said inner sleeve has an outer flange and a washer adjacent thereto adapted to sealingly engage the shoulder in said sleeve when said male and female membars are disconnected.

6. A coupling comprising a male member having a connecting portion with a peripheral groove and an end flange, a check valve adapted to sealingly engage said flange in said male member when the male member is disconnected; a female member comprising a sleeve having ball retaining apertures, ball members in said apertures for locking engagement with the groove in the connecting portion of said male member to secure said male and female members together, a springurged outer sleeve for holding said ball members in locking engagement with said groove in the connecting portion of said male member, an inner flanged sleeve adapted to hold said ball members in the path of said spring urged outer sleeve,

said sleeve has an inner shoulder and a washer is disposed adjacent a flanged portion of said inner sleeve to sealingly engage said shoulder when said female member is disengaged from said male member.

8. A ball-type coupling comprising a male memher having a flanged connecting portion with a amass? 5 peripheral groove. a spring-urged check valve having a projecting nose portion adapted to engage the flanged connecting portion of said male member to seal said male member when disconfemale members are disconnected, said checkvalves and inner sleeve being moved longitudinally when said connecting portion of said male member is inserted into said female member to free said male and female member for the flow of 9. A coupling comprising a male member having a connecting portion with a, peripheral groove; a female member comprising a sleeve having an inner shoulder. camming members carried by said sleeve for engaging the groove in the connecting portion of said male member to secure said male and female members together, an outer locking sleeve for locking said camming members in engagement with the groove-in the connecting portion of said male member a flanged sleeve for holding said camming members outwardly in the pathof said locking sleeve when said male and female members are disconnected, longitudinally movable check valves disposed in said male and female members to seal them when disconnected and which'are adapted to move to an unsealed position when they are connected together. and a sealing means between said inner shoulder of said sleeve and the flanged portion of said inner sleeve;

, ALBERT T. BCHEIWER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

